As reported last year, the Department launched the Performance-Based Data
Management Initiative (PBDMI) that provides a central data repository of performance
information for Federal grant programs. The Department is now collecting information
from the state and local education agency partners via an integrated web-based
system that reports timely data on student achievement and educational outcomes.
Next year, the Department will report on the results of performance data collected,
and the reduced reporting burden to our partners. By improved analysis of educational
results data, all concerned are better able to identify performance trends that
impact budget and policy decisions. Implementation of this system reinforced the
commitment by the Department to shift emphasis from compliance with procedural
requirements to a focus on actual student achievement. Additionally, the PBDMI
will promote the redirection of state and local resources from responding to collection
requests to addressing core mission objectives.

The Department continues to offer and enhance FAFSA (Free Application for Federal
Student Aid) on the Web, which offers electronic financial aid applications to
the public. This benefits both students and schools and enables the government
to lower processing costs. Students receive a response in four days, instead of
three to four weeks when the same application is filed manually. Applicants have
to make fewer corrections because the FAFSA on the Web application has built-in
error checks, which helps students "apply right" the first time and
reduces data duplication. By using on-line edits, we have been able to reduce
resubmits and on-line exceptions from an average of eight percent of all applicants
to less than one-half of one percent. We calculate the student aid report (SAR)
and determine the student's expected family contribution. We send those
reports electronically to schools and they bundle a total aid package from all
their resources to custom fit each student. Applicants can apply for a pin to
use in electronic identification. We currently mail this pin to their mailing
address to meet privacy considerations. We look forward to the opportunity to
send the pin to the applicant electronically when federal privacy and security
practices permit.

Explain how your agency maintains an ongoing dialogue with interested parties
to find innovative ways to use IT

The Department has had an on-line customer satisfaction survey available
on ED.gov since November 1996. Among other things, customers have an opportunity
to tell us what kinds of new services they would like ED to offer. Over the years,
ED has implemented many of the suggestions, including a new on-line tour of the
site to help users navigate the site and an eService Center, which provides enhanced
customer service to the public for frequently asked questions (FAQ) while increasing
the efficiency of responding to customer inquiries.

Federal Student Aid (FSA) continues to annually host thousands of financial
aid professionals from across the nation at conferences and events designed to
promote dialogue on IT updates, industry best practices, recent developments and
process improvements. Additionally, FSA constituencies can access any one of several
websites developed and maintained by FSA to receive real-time information on issues
impacting student aid.

Identify other agency partners who collaborate on the initiative

Partners with the PBDM Initiative involve the state and local education
agencies, and FSA expands that partnership to include colleges, universities,
and other post-secondary institutions. The Department continues to focus on-line
services to customers, expanding public access to grants, loans, and research
information through improvements in electronic transactions.

As part of our strategic objectives, we track burden hours associated with
our information collections. Through the use of consolidated PBDMI collection
process, we will continue to reduce burden hours, therefore meeting our annual
performance objectives as required by the Government Performance and Results Act.

Quantify the cost savings and cost avoidance created by implementing the
initiative (e.g. reduction and elimination of investments), and describe the methodology
used to determine savings

Cost savings resulting from the PBDMI is with the states because they can
redirect their resources more efficiently. For example, the PBDMI reduces amount
of time spent on gathering and reporting duplicative data and preparing collections.

100% of the Department's Title IV loan programs provide online capability.
In addition to the fact that the eligibility application (FAFSA) is available
online, students and parents can also complete and sign loan applications/promissory
notes online.

Explain how your agency ensures availability of government information
and services is not diminished by those without access to the Internet

The Information Resource Center (IRC) is the home of 1-800-USA-LEARN (1-800-872-5327),
the telephone number for information on the Department of Education's major
education improvement priorities (e.g., reading, family involvement, technology).
Services provided by the IRC include not only information about the Department's
programs and agenda, but also the ability to register for satellite events and
directory assistance for the Department. The IRC provides referrals to department
specialists or other experts, and answers frequently asked questions. The local
number in Washington, DC is 202-401-2000, and Spanish speakers are available on
TTY: 1-800-437-0833.

Another popular phone contact is 1-800-4FED-AID (both English and Spanish lines).

The Education Publications Center (ED Pubs) is the Departments' one-stop
center for access to ED Information products, including publications, videos,
brochures, posters, and other mailings. Use the ED Pubs online or call 1-877-4ED
PUBS (English and Spanish)

In addition to phone and publication media, the Department has entered into
a pilot with HUD. ED recently executed an interagency agreement with the Department
of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to participate in their successful Kiosk
Project. HUD has placed 106 kiosks in grocery stores, malls, shopping centers,
libraries and city halls in areas serving low-income, minority audiences that
do not have Internet access. ED content will provide users with information on
how to get free publications and answers to questions about other ED programs.
All information will have Spanish versions and all phone numbers have Spanish-speaking
staff to assist. The new information is expected to be available in January 2005.

a. The reporting of each instance where persistent tracking technology
is used, to include need for persistent tracking technology,
safeguards for information collected, and contact/privacy
policy notification.

ED.gov is the primary entry point for the Department's internet
services and products, and does not use persistent cookies. (Federal Student Aid,
EDCAPS and National Center for Education Statistics represent separate business
functions, and may use persistent tracking technology.)

ED Principal Offices (as cited above) may choose to use persistent tracking
technology in cases where it can increase the agency's ability to deliver its
services, primarily by increasing convenience for institutional partners in mission
delivery, by increasing family awareness of financing for college, or by enabling
electronic filing for college student aid. The first two instances involve web
sites that are personally customizable by public users on a voluntary basis; i.e.,
information is available whether or not the user signs up. The third instance
requires persistent tracking in the same way that filing a tax return online does;
persistent tracking is necessary if the person wants to file online (a paper option
exists for the person who does not want to be tracked electronically).

All ED web sites are protected in accordance with FISMA, and the data that
are collected are protected in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, the E-Government
Act of 2002, and OMB privacy guidance.

ED has no information that says the Principal Offices are not complying with
OMB guidance on persistent tracking. The Office of the Chief Information Officer
is planning to validate that persistent tracking and machine-readable privacy
policies have been implemented in 2005.

b. A readable agency privacy policy machine or an explanation of why it
is not readable.

In February, 2004, the CIO's web development services team implemented
P3P on ED.gov and related servers and notified Federal Student Aid, Office of
the CFO, and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of this requirement
for servers and web sites that they maintain. NCES has implemented P3P on its
website, but it is not known whether the other two offices have completed implementation.
The upcoming validation will gather this information.

c. The contact information of individuals appointed by the head of the
Executive Department to serve as the agency's principal contact for information
technology/web matters and the individual primarily responsible for privacy.

Identify any specialized job activities necessary to perform the agency
mission that have changed since last year's report

Last year's report identified a number of IT-related skills, briefly
touching on the skill sets found in the IT Specialist job series. The IT Specialist
series, modeled after to a great extent, skill sets identified in the Clinger-Cohen
Competencies document. Recognizing that the federal government needs to approach
the work differently and more efficiently, the Department believes that Project
Management professionals must direct all IT-related projects. To that end, the
Department launched in December 2004, its first IT Project Management Certification
Program. The first session targets those individuals already managing large IT
projects for the Department. The second session will include not only a repeat
of the full curriculum, but also the course for project managers to complete the
annual re-certification requirement.

Of equal importance with ensuring that highly qualified individuals lead IT
related projects, focus is directed to identify skill sets related to enterprise
architecture and broad-spectrum security expertise.

Explain how your IT training plan integrates into the overall agency training
plan

As reported last year, the Department launched a self-assessment tool—Employee
Skills Inventory System (ESIS) to aid in identifying individual competency development
needs in the current workforce. The Department's Training and Development staff
continually develop strategies designed to aid in closing existing competency
gaps—on-line learning opportunities (GOLEARN at www.golearn.gov)
as well as working with IT components to meet individual training needs (as with
the development of the IT Project Management Certification Program).

Discuss how you have used the results of OPM's Training Report to
successfully implement training programs to fulfill gaps in your IT workforce

The report provided a comprehensive summary of IT training programs available,
as well as updates to the Clinger-Cohen Act core competencies. The report confirms
the direction the Department took in the development of our on-site IT Project
Management Certification Program.

Description of process ED established to determine which information will
be made available on the Internet

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) developed this inventory of website
content as required by Section 207(f)(2) of the E-Government Act of 2002. This
inventory is intended to be comprehensive, and to represent website content from
ED and all its offices.

Provide the priorities and schedules for making Government information
available and accessible

In preparing this inventory, ED has reviewed information collected as
part of the redesign process for ED.gov, including citizen comments via e-mail,
a customer survey, and usability tests; current website statistics indicating
usage of existing content; and related information developed through the Information
Quality Guidelines process (per Section 515 of Public Law 106-554, known as the
Data Quality Act).

Explain how these priorities and schedules were available for public comment

The draft inventory was posted on the ED.gov website on 12/3/2004 and the
Department will receive comments through 12/15/04. A final inventory will be prepared
and communicated to OMB on 12/17/04, as required by the E-Gov Act.

Identify the link where the priorities and schedules can be found on the
Internet